Farm fields in Nanaimo catch fire after explosion

Two fire departments were called out to a fire at a farm in Nanaimo this afternoon.

Crews from North Cedar and Cranberry volunteer fire departments were called out to the 1500 block of Brightman Road in Cedar at about 3:15 p.m.

Firefighters on scene said neighbours reported hearing an explosion, and believe the blaze started with an electrical fire in a pump house. The fire destroyed the structure and spread to hay fields, but has been extinguished.

Neighbour Max Ebert and his friend Isaac Johnson smelled and saw smoke as they were coming up the drive.

“He raced into the field, because I didn’t have the right shoes on, and he saw the fire, and he said, ‘your field’s on fire,’ and at first I didn’t really believe him,” Ebert said. “And then I came down and it was on fire and it was pretty crazy.”

Max’s brother Simon said the explosion was from a propane tank in the structure that caught fire.

“There used to be a shed right there, but that’s just gone,” Johnson said.